Saturday, December 14, 2013

AMAZON DRONES

﻿Now that we’ve reached the point where approximately 70% of
all editorial cartoonists have done a cartoon about Amazon’splans to use drones to deliver their packages even faster than thecompany delivers them now, I feel compelled to weigh on in on
this important issue. Once my eyes stop rolling.

I admit it’s a funny idea. I laughed at the first couple cartoons Isaw of Santa Claus and/or his reindeer being all worried about
the Amazon drones and the first ones that compared the Amazon
drones to government drones. Real knee-slappers they were.

The thing is...I can’t envision how the Amazon drones would be theleast bit affordable for regular use, at least not for 99.9% of us.I’m thinking the cost would be comparable to a flight by a reallytiny private jet. I considered teaming up with a bunch of friendsto use an Amazon delivery drone - once and only once - and realizedeven that would be a ridiculous waste of money. The stuff I orderfrom Amazon already arrives faster than I can read it.

Then there’s the environmental and safety concerns. Exhaust fumes,noise, the many objects also in the sky that could be struck by theAmazon drones, the many objects that could be struck by the Amazondrones on their way down. It’s a non-starter.

I predict the Amazon drones will never get off the ground. Just tobe clear, though, I am not giving up my dream of someday having aflying car like we were promised in all the science fiction comicbooks and cartoons of the 1950s and 1960s. Because a flying car,even it looked as if it came from a Jetsons cartoon, would still beawesome cool.

My guess is that, when and/or if this idea actually gets implemented, there would probably be designated 'drop zones' (i.e. malls, UPS stores, etc.) where the actual drones could land and items picked-up. There would be just too many logistical and possible legal problems for individual home delivery. "Sorry, sir. The complete DVD collection of FREAKAZOID you ordered collided with a flock of geese over Salt Lake City."